Handbags
Aug 9, 2023

Suddenly Everyone Has Fallen for Crossbody Bags, and Life Has Never Been Easier

by Remy Farrell

At Who What Wear UK, we're specialists in spotting trends long before they happen, so if the number of editors in the office sporting the same COS crossbody bag last year taught us anything, it was that the leather crossbody bag is a new cult classic. All of the hallmarks are there—the practicality (your hands are free to juggle a myriad of tasks), the price point (you can find quality leather crossbody bags starting from around £80, so you don't need to spend three figures), and of course, the look (the leather crossbody is a minimalist's dream, and there's no better bag for every outfit than the sleek sling style).

Flash forward to 2023 and the COS crossbody is still a top seller, but so too is The Row's Banana bag, Loewe's Gate bag and Lemaire's Croissant—a clear sign that the days of lugging around a heavy tote are well and truly over.

Need further proof? It helps that one of the biggest viral fashion hits of the year is Uniqlo's crossbody bag. Granted, it doesn't come in leather (quite yet), but the easy, throw-on style became an overnight success, and turned a whole new generation of shoppers onto the benefits of the sling bag.

The next thing we knew, the high street was awash with crossbody styles, and designers are now investing even more heavily in luxe leather and sturdy styles that prove to be a sensible investment. But do crossbody bags really work with any outfit?

Photo:

@brittanybathgate

Style Notes: Brittany Bathgate keeps it tonal with a black St. Agni crossbody bag and an all-black outfit.

Photo:

@monikh

Style Notes: As soon as it gets cooler outside you're going to want to layer up, and the crossbody is the perfect handsfree bag for when you can't fit a small shoulder bag over your knit and fluffy coat.

Photo:

@nlmarilyn

Style Notes: Not all bags have to come supersized; Marilyn's mini bag is perfect for the days when you all you need are the essentials.

Photo:

@theannaedit

Style Notes: Trust Loewe to give us the ideal bag that can be worn crossbody, on the shoulder and held with the top handle. The dream day-to-night bag.